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Kobalt licenses its publishing catalog to Udio for a relaunched AI platform

Publisher Kobalt agreed to license music from its catalog to Udio's forthcoming subscription platform. Participating creators will be credited and paid.

NEW YORK, April 9, 2026 Udio and independent music publisher Kobalt announced a licensing agreement on April 9, 2026 under which Udio's forthcoming subscription platform will be trained on licensed music from Kobalt's catalog.1

Terms of the deal

The service, expected later in 2026, will let users make remixes, covers and new songs using the voices and compositions of creators who opt in. Participating creators are credited and paid. The companies described the deal as a pathway to new revenue for Kobalt artists and songwriters.1 Financial terms were not disclosed.

The public record on this agreement is limited to the announcement and the press coverage cited below. The price is listed here as: Undisclosed. The status shown, Announced, reflects the most recent reporting available on October 22, 2026, and any later amendments are not captured.

Background

The Kobalt agreement was described as Udio's fourth major licensing deal, after Universal Music Group in October 2025, Warner Music Group in November 2025 and Merlin in January 2026. Sony Music remained the only major without a Udio deal, and its lawsuit continued.1

What it means for data sellers

Publishers should notice that composition rights are being licensed separately from master recordings, with AI companies needing both. Sellers should confirm whether their license covers training, output generation or both.

A seller comparing this deal with its own situation should ask what the buyer actually receives: raw data, a license to train, a license to display, or a right to build a product. Each is priced differently, and the answer should be written into the agreement rather than inferred from a press release.

How the deal came together

  1. Earlier deals. Udio had signed Universal, Warner and Merlin.
  2. Publisher talks. Kobalt negotiated a license for compositions.
  3. Announcement. The agreement was announced on April 9, 2026.
  4. Relaunch. Udio expects its relaunched service later in 2026.

Takeaways for companies with data

  • Publishing rights are a separate license from recordings and need their own deal.
  • Credit and payment for opted-in creators are central terms.
  • A fourth deal in a series signals the buyer is assembling a full rights stack.

Sources

Every numbered reference above points to an entry here. Figures come from these pages as of the date shown at the top of the article. Where a source reports a number it got from unnamed people, the text says so.

  1. After Universal, Warner, and Merlin deals, now Udio inks licensing agreement with Kobalt (Music Business Worldwide, April 2026)

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About the AI Data Deal Tracker

SellYourAIData tracks publicly reported sales and licenses of data to AI companies, with the price, terms and sources for each. Entries are checked against public reporting and updated as deals change. SellYourAIData was not involved in this deal. To ask what your company's data could sell for, get a free valuation. To report a deal, contact us.